It’s true that Europe has made massive concessions in matters of free speech to accomodate their rapidly growing minority. But then I read in the news a few days ago that China has issued instructions to broadcasters and advertisers and corporations to eliminate any pig symbols or references in their celebration of the Chinese New year – the year of the pig! This to avoid confrontations with Muslims who find such references offensive.

So the Senator may be right that we are the last major place on earth that stands up to such coercion.

Olcer, when Muslims die, it’s passed off as “anti-terror” and when Christians die, it’s called either “terrorism” or “genocide”. The western media and the Bush Administration have been priming this engine for many years, and it’s now running full throttle.

I was in Istanbul in November and it is quite safe, but use typical “american abroad” travel precautions. I stayed in hostels, and travelled by bus as far as Bergama on the West. Understand that once you leave tourist spots, people do not speak English. I recommend picking up a “Teach yourself Turkish” book prior to going. Having a little knowledge of turkish goes a long way.

Enjoy Turkey if you go. It’s an amazing country.

-brent

for killing a million people, How about the 3 million Turks who got killed during the same time? Are they considered humans or you just consider Christians as humans?
Something to think about.

Cheers.

I’d be interested in hearing any reactions Ms. Shafak might have to comments like those made by Joe Lieberman in the current New Yorker:

— [Quoting]
In another conversation, he told me that he was reading “America Alone,” a book by the conservative commentator Mark Steyn, which argues that Europe is succumbing, demographically and culturally, to an onslaught by Islam, leaving America friendless in its confrontation with Islamic extremism.

“The thing I quote most from it is the power of demographics, in Europe particularly,” Lieberman said. “That’s what struck me the most. But the other part is a kind of confirmation of what I know and what I’ve read elsewhere, which is that Islamist extremism has an ideology, and it’s expansionist, it’s an aggressive ideology. And the title I took to mean that we Americans will have ultimate responsibility for stopping this expansionism.”
— [Done quoting.]

Personally, I think Lieberman takes two ideas that might on their own be true, and draws bad conclusions based on a linguistic sleight-of-hand: First, there’s the (correct) view that ISLAM is spreading in Europe as a demographic matter. Second, there’s the idea (I think also true) that ISLAMISTS are expansionist. Then, somehow that first “ISLAM” gets treated as “ISLAMISM,” such that demographic change in Europe is cause for alarm about expansion (and, apparently, for mobilization of some sort).

So, to me, the questions for someone like Shafak — particularly in light of debates over “muslim” Turkey’s accession to the EU — are, How do we respond to those who appear to believe that Western, enlightenment pluralism cannot handle an increasing Muslim presence, and who cannot see the difference between a Muslim and an Islamist, or a terrorist? And, to the extent that these people have a point that integration will pose challenges (see Holland and Denmark), how can we surmount those challenges?

Elif Safak is writing from a “bohemian café” in Istanbul when a rude ice cream truck driver wants to bully his way through the crowd.

“We, a bunch of cosmopolitans, of all nationalities and ethnicities, finally bow to the van driver. In 10 minutes, we have all moved our chairs and tables and kindly let him pass. He drives by slowly like a feather drifting in a mellow breeze; an urban lullaby.

The bohemian café, the traditional coffeehouse, foreigners and natives, Koran sellers and cigar sellers… It seems as if every incongruity has found a way in which to fuse with others in a bizarre harmony.”

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=23046

I wonder if she can tell us if there are any statistics regarding the proportions of each in the Muslim world. I think of Turkey as the center of Sufi Islam – the home of Rumi and many others. Is this true? And if so, could Turkey – if it would even acknowledge the spirituality in it’s midst – be a bridge between fundamentalist idealogies: Western (a euphemism for Christian, perhaps) and Muslim?

When talks regarding Turkey’s membership in the EU commenced in earnest several years ago, you’ll recall that the US was enthusiastic for early entry talks and was quickly rebuffed by the EU–whose intentions for Turkey are questionable anyhow. In any event, it’s pretty obvious that the US were looking for “alternative support” in Europe, via Turkish membership.

(Interestingly enough, a bulk of the Turkish elite, I believe, were vocal supporters of the US invasion of Iraq, thinking this would help their case for EU membership. Needless to say, this is not how things played out.)

Ms. Shafak’s conception of the whole EU-membership process as it has proceeded (or has not) over the past few years would be of great interest to an American audience, I think.

Two of her quotes from different articles refer to people retreating to their groups:

“islands of the like-minded.”

“In today’s world there is a growing tendency to retreat to safe spaces of the like-minded.”

I’d be curious if she has come across any examples of hope in this regard. What about New York City?

I came away fascinated by her perch in these historic times. Every column, every word, tackles big themes because history is literally happening at her doorstep. Tradition, individualism, woman’s rights, freedom of the press, ext. From my small sample I took her overarching narrative to be her countries ultimate decision to side with Islam or the West.

Turkey is having a national identity crisis and Elif Safak is laying on the couch for us.

A couple of highlights for me:

– in her column ”Memorizing”

“Turkish women are being taught how to be more passive and weak. The force that is making them believe in this is not guns or coercion, but the bright lights of popular culture on every channel.”

I’d be curious to know how Turkish popular culture differs from American.

-from her column ”Curiosity: a most suitable state for cats and humans alike”

“A simple, practically essential value that we’ve been losing is eroding with every passing day — the feeling of curiosity.”

“before anything else the “individual” and “the ability to individualize” should be esteemed.”